Operation Puddin'break II
by Christine M. Greenleaf
Summary: The sequel to my "Operation Puddin'break" fic, set a few months after that story and building on its events which take place after "Arkham Knight." Bruce Wayne is forced to take up the mantle of Batman again, and confront not only Gotham's new murderous vigilante in the form of Jason Todd, but also deal with the combined consciousness of the Joker and Harley Quinn.
1. Chapter 1

**Operation Puddin'break II**

Bruce Wayne, who the world now knew as Batman, crouched on the rooftop, waiting for his enemy. The people of Gotham called this enemy Neo-Batman, but Bruce knew him as Jason Todd, his former Robin, the former Arkham Knight, and now a ruthless and murderous vigilante who used fear gas to frighten criminals to death while dressed in a more lethal version of his batsuit. Batman had always known that after his true identity as Bruce Wayne had been revealed by Scarecrow, that Gotham would need a new and worse Batman to take his place, but he still felt the need to protect his city from someone he had created, someone who was cruel and homicidal because Batman had abandoned him to the clutches of the Joker.

Bruce had thought the best course of action when his identity was revealed was to fake his own death, while still keeping an active role monitoring Gotham via his allies, Oracle and Robin. But a few months ago, something had happened. Harley Quinn had recruited Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter, who had managed to kidnap Bruce and infiltrate his mind, freeing the Joker from the cell where Bruce had locked him in his subconscious forever. Rather than trying to take over Bruce's mind again, however, Joker had instead managed to escape into Harley's body, who couldn't have been happier to become a vessel for him to reassert himself in Gotham. And with Joker back out there, and Jason murdering whoever he deemed worthy of death, Bruce could no longer stand idly by and hide away in the Batcave. He had to put on the cowl again, hopefully just long enough to clean up these two situations he felt responsible for.

He sighed, glancing around the night sky. "Come on, Jason," he murmured. "You know I'm here."

"Not a nice feeling, is it?" said a voice from behind him suddenly. "Waiting around for someone that you hope is gonna come, but never does. As time passes, you start wishing you could give up hope, but you can't. It clings on no matter what, and eventually twists into something dark and bitter and vengeful. Like me."

"I don't know how many times I can apologize for what I did," murmured Bruce, turning to face the cowled figure behind him. "Or what I didn't do, I guess. But you shouldn't make the people of Gotham suffer to ease your own pain, Jason."

"Why not? Isn't that what you used to do?" asked Jason. "Anyway, I don't kill innocent people. I kill criminals. If you had killed the criminals you fought, Scarecrow would never have unmasked you, and Joker would never have tortured me. We can't change what happened in those cases, but we can see to it that no one in the future suffers as we did. The only way to prevent crime is to deal out harsh justice to those who engage in it, and ensure they can't reoffend. That's what I do."

"You can't kill people, Jason," said Bruce. "Nobody has the right to do that…"

"And you had the right to torture and maim criminals, did you?" interrupted Jason. "You talk about killing as if it's some giant leap from that. It's not. In a way, it's more merciful. It would have been merciful of Joker to kill me. But he didn't."

"I've seen the bodies of the people you've frightened to death with Crane's gas," retorted Bruce. "That's not an act of mercy."

"Sometimes I don't feel like being merciful," retorted Jason. "Like when I came upon a couple thugs in an alley, trying to rob a family, threatening to shoot them in front of their little boy, probably about eight years old. They thought they were such tough guys, beating up on defenseless civilians and their kid. After frightening a child, after they could have done to him what Joe Chill did to you, didn't those thugs deserve to be frightened to death? Isn't that justice?"

"No," said Bruce, firmly. "It's not. It makes you just as bad as they are. You think that kid is somehow unscathed after watching two people's minds break apart in a fear gas driven frenzy? He's not. I taught you that we could use the darkness to aid the light. But you've become something darker than I ever was, and that darkness will consume you. And Gotham, if you're not careful. And I can't let that happen."

"How are you gonna stop me, old man?" demanded Jason. "Everyone thinks you're dead, and even if they didn't, nobody's afraid of your Batman anymore. He was just a rich guy who decided to dress up in a bat costume and hand criminals over to the law. Well, I am the law in Gotham now. Judge, jury, and executioner."

"What you've become is a criminal just like them, Jason," murmured Bruce. "And I've always stopped them, one way or another. You're right, people already think I'm dead – if I have to actually die in order to stop you, please believe I won't hesitate to sacrifice myself to achieve that."

"But you won't sacrifice _me_, will you?" murmured Jason. "You see, that's how I knew you weren't dead when everyone else thought you were. You watch the footage of you blowing up Wayne Manor, and Alfred opens the door for you. Even if you were ready to sacrifice yourself, you'd never sacrifice him, your friend, and another human being. That was always your weak point, old man. And that's going to be your downfall, because in the end, you won't kill me. And that's the only way you're gonna stop me."

"That's what the Joker said," retorted Bruce. "And in the end, he killed himself."

"Did he?" asked Jason. "I heard rumors that you killed him, not that I believed them. Anyway, I'm not sure he's really gone, and you shouldn't be either. His death could have been some elaborate trick, some giant hoax on you. You've seen the graffiti everywhere, right? The smiley faces, the 'Joker's back in town!' written in blood, and surrounded by smiling corpses, the laughing gas that only he knew how to make..."

"That's Harley," retorted Bruce. "She knows how to make it, and she's gone even crazier since…she lost him."

"I saw Harley when Crane recruited her to attack Gotham," replied Jason. "She wasn't that crazy. Mostly she was just obsessed with killing you, rather than innocent people. If she wasn't that unhinged when Joker's death was more recent, why would she be more unhinged now? Pain's meant to dull as time passes, and wounds, including broken hearts, are meant to heal."

"They don't though," murmured Bruce. "You know that, and so do I."

Jason said nothing. "If Joker is back, I'm going to kill him for real for what he did to me," he said. "So stay out of my way when I do. In fact, stay out of my way in general, or I'll be forced to kill you too. And you know I can and will, unlike you."

"I don't want us to be enemies, Jason," said Bruce. "And I don't want to fight you. Come home with me now, and we can make this right. You and me and Alfred and Barbara…"

"And that brat you got to replace me, right?" interrupted Jason. "What's his name again? I guess I can just call him Mr. Barbara Gordon now."

"It's not Tim's fault that he joined me," murmured Bruce.

"No. It's yours," retorted Jason. "And I can't just forget that, Bruce. I don't want to fight you either, not again, but if you get in my way, I will. I'm not your sidekick now, and I'm not the Arkham Knight. I answer to no one, and I'm not cowed by any code of honor. So I repeat, stay out of my way, unless you want to end up dead."

"I came here to warn you, Jason," said Bruce, as Jason turned away. "I've heard rumors that Crane's after you, for co-opting his fear gas. I don't know if he knows for sure that you were the Arkham Knight, but he's not an idiot, so I'm sure he suspects that the person now using his gas is the only other person who knew where it was stored. If he has made that connection, he also knows you betrayed him and saved my life, and he's not the kind of man who allows a betrayal to go unpunished."

"I can handle Crane," retorted Jason, turning back to face him.

"I thought we could handle him together," said Bruce, gently. "Maybe work together to take him down, and hand him over to the police, just like old times…"

"Thanks, but I remember how those old times end," muttered Jason. "With Joker laughing as he shoves a sizzling brand on my face, and me blinded by the pain, seeing nothing but smoke, and smelling my own flesh burning, and hearing his horrible, mocking cackle…"

He turned away again. "No, I work better alone. We both do. Something for you to think about, Bruce," he said, as he leapt off the rooftop and was gone.

Bruce sighed heavily, opening his wrist communicator. "Alfred, I'm heading back home."

"Any luck with Master Todd, sir?" asked Alfred.

"No," murmured Bruce. "I don't think…I can save him."

"Most regrettable, sir," said Alfred. "But sometimes when people choose a darker path, the only thing we can do is not follow them onto it."

"I hope I won't," murmured Bruce. "But if it's the only way to stop him, I might have to."


	2. Chapter 2

Rocco Demarco had long been a henchman of the Joker, and after the Joker's death, he had been happy to work for Harley Quinn, who he thought had done an excellent job running the gang in Joker's stead. But then Harley had disbanded the gang and gone back to being a shrink, which Rocco thought an odd thing for her to do, but then she did tend to act in strange ways. It wasn't his place to question the boss, nor to comment when she reformed the gang a few months ago. But ever since then, she had been acting a lot weirder, and Rocco was seriously beginning to wonder how long he could serve someone whose grip on reality seemed so tenuous. And that was compared to the Joker.

For instance, that morning Rocco had been summoned to Harley's room. "You wanted to see me, boss?" he asked, opening the door.

"Yes, come in, Roc," said Harley, turning to him and beaming happiness from her green eyes. "I have a job for you. I need you to deliver this message to Two-Face," she said, handing him a letter.

Rocco nodded and tried to take it from her, but was surprised to find her holding it back, her blue eyes suddenly narrowed and a frown on her face. "I still don't like this," she muttered. "Harvey tried to kill you."

"Well, not personally, but his gang did attack a bunch of us…" began Rocco.

"I think we should let bygones be bygones, don't you?" interrupted Harley, smiling again but with a flash of anger behind her green eyes. "It's been more than a year, after all – we need to let these things go."

"Yeah, sure…" agreed Rocco.

"I don't forgive anyone who tries to hurt you, puddin'," muttered Harley, frowning again as her blue eyes clouded over. "And I especially don't wanna work with them."

"Puddin'?" repeated Rocco. "You feeling all right, Harley?"

"I'm telling you, pooh, he'll love us," continued Harley, seemingly to herself, with a benign smile on her face. "Us as we are, you know, two personalities for the price of one. Anyway, he's a dependable ally, and that's what we need right now. It just doesn't seem right though," she continued, her face contorting in a frown again. "And how dependable can any guy be when he just flips a coin to decide stuff? Would you rather we worked with Penguin, after what he did to the babies?" she demanded, her green eyes flashing in annoyance. "I'd rather we worked alone. There are two of us, so we're twice as good as any ally. Well, I'd rather we had at least one useful extra body for this job, and I'm going with Harvey," she continued. "So just get used to it, or no more sex. You can't control what our hands do to our body! You wanna bet? Maybe I just won't let you take control of it at all! You wouldn't dare try to lock me up, not after what the Bat did to you! I will if you don't behave yourself, swear to God, so just let him take the letter, Harley! Fine, Mr. J, but I still don't like it."

She released the letter, and Rocco just stared at her. "Harley, are you…are you ok?" he asked slowly.

"Most of the time I'm just great, Roc, but sometimes my better half and I don't agree," muttered Harley. "But I guess we all gotta do things we don't like sometimes, huh? I guess if anyone understands that, it's Two-Face. There, y'see? Now you're talking sense!" she said, beaming again. "Get that letter over to Harvey, Roc, and then ask one of the boys to prepare lunch. I think I'm in the mood for a steak or something. I dunno, I'm a little sick of red meat," she sighed. "I told you not to talk back to me, and if I want steak, we're gonna get steak!" she snapped. "Just be glad it ain't fish! If it were fish, my body would reject it! I know, that's one of the many downsides of being stuck in your worthless body with your pet dislikes, but we just gotta both make the best of it, and if I want steak, then that's what we're having! Whatever you say, Mr. J," sighed Harley, rolling her blue eyes. "Anyway, you have a great day Roc," she said, smiling at him, but it seemed like a completely different smile from when he first entered, almost like a completely different face.

"Uh…thanks," stammered Rocco, hurrying from the room. While he was delivering the letter to Two-Face, he intended to talk to some of Harvey's guys to see if this kinda weird, bipolar behavior was something they could explain. It was certainly weird to see in Harley, but maybe it was something that happened to all supercriminals eventually - maybe they just couldn't cope with the strain of their lives and snapped. His theory made a lot more sense than the truth.

Rocco had been just about to leave the hideout when he ran in to Jonathan Crane, otherwise known as the Scarecrow, who had been about to knock on the door. "Oh, hello, is Harley in?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's…here," said Rocco, slowly. "She's just kinda…uh…I'm not sure she's up to visitors."

"Yes, I'm aware of her condition," said Crane, nodding. "Could you please just see if she wants to see me?"

"Condition?" repeated Rocco. "What's wrong with the boss?"

"It would be impossible to explain to a dolt like you," retorted Crane. "Suffice it to say that Harley…is not herself. Well, is not _only _herself, if you like."

"I think you've been hanging around that nonsense guy too much, Professor," said Rocco, as he headed back into the hideout and knocked on Harley's door. "Boss, Scarecrow is here to see you."

"Oooh, send him in!" exclaimed Harley.

"You heard the lady," said Rocco, nodding at the door and then leaving to go deliver the message.

"Yes. I only hope it _is _the lady," muttered Crane, as he entered. "Harley, how are you doing? It is Harley I'm speaking to, isn't it?"

"You can call us Joley," said Harley, smiling at him. "That's what Mr. J decided on – I wanted to go with Harker, but Mr. J said he didn't want my name coming first. He actually didn't want my name at all, but he understands how confusing it would be for everyone if I suddenly just started referring to us as Joker – it would definitely confuse those dunderheads out in Gotham. So we figured Joley's best."

"How fascinating," said Crane, hoping he didn't sound too sarcastic. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in working on a scheme with me…"

"Nope, beat it, loser," said Harley, her blue eyes suddenly turning green. "I was just going to take a nap and leave Harley to herself for the time being, but I'm glad I didn't. I don't need her wasting our time volunteering to help some Z-list supervillain."

"I'll have you know, I held Gotham hostage and unmasked Batman while you were busy being dead!" snapped Crane.

"Yeah, and then you screwed it up as only you could've, Craney," retorted Harley. "We definitely have better things to do with our time – I just sent Rocco with a message to ask Harvey if he wants to join us in our Batman battle."

"First of all, Batman, or should I say Bruce Wayne, is no longer a threat," retorted Crane. "This Neo-Batman, however, is. I believe him to be the Arkham Knight, and not only did that little brat betray me, but now he's using my stolen fear gas to strike terror into the hearts of Gotham! That was my plan, which he's robbed me of, as well as my toxin! I want him brought to heel, and I figured you'd want to join me."

"Why?" asked Harley, opening a drawer and taking out a pack of gum. She popped a bit into her mouth, chewed it, and attempted to blow a bubble. "No, Mr. J, you're still not using my tongue right," she said. "I can do it, you little brat!" she snapped, failing repeatedly at blowing the bubble. "Here, lemme show you, and I'll give me right back to you," she said, her blue eyes concentrating as she blew a massive bubble. "Nobody likes a show off, Harl," she snapped, popping the bubble as her green eyes flashed fury. "Anyway, I want to fight Batman because that's what I've always wanted to do – it's a joke that never gets old. But I don't have anything against this Neo-Batman creep, aside from him stealing Batsy's gig. And I ain't out to avenge his honor."

"I thought you'd want to help me because it was my understanding that the Arkham Knight was an old acquaintance of yours," said Crane. "From what he told me, which was admittedly limited, he had encountered the Joker before. Indeed, he intimated to me that you were the reason for his transformation into the Arkham Knight."

"No, that was Batsy," retorted Harley. "I tortured the kid a little, sure, because he used to be Batsy's sidekick. Broke his mind and several bones, and he did an all right job trying to avenge himself upon the Dork Knight. But like everyone who tries to kill the Bat, he failed when it really mattered. I don't like failures, but I certainly don't degrade myself by going out to seek vengeance upon them. Let the kid cross the wrong kinda criminal and be horribly murdered, which he's bound to do one day."

"He's not afraid to kill us, you know," said Crane. "He's not like Batman. What makes you think he won't figure out who you really are, and come after you?"

"I don't care if he does," said Harley, shrugging. "I broke him before and I'll break him again. I'm not afraid of some punk kid, even if he does claim to be the new Batman. My rivalry is against the old one, and it ends with me victorious. But if you're scared of the punk kid, why don't you ask one of the other freaks to help you?"

"Because, as much as I hate to admit it, you're the best," growled Crane.

Harley beamed. "Say it again," she said, blowing out another bubble.

"You're the best," repeated Crane. "After you died, Harley learned well – she became a great supercriminal in her own right."

"Aw, thanks, Johnny!" said Harley, smiling. "That's so sweet of you to say! Shut up, Harley!" she snapped, her green eyes flashing fury. "Stop flirting with the talking corpse! I wasn't flirting – I was appreciating a compliment from our friend, whose hard work and crazy gas is the reason you're here today! So just be a little grateful, Mr. J! I am not grateful to losers, no matter how they may have accidentally blundered into helping me!"

"And now that you're back, Joker, and combined with her…you're the best potential ally any criminal in this city can have," continued Crane. "I'd like you on my side, and with your efforts focused on this Neo-Batman. Of course I wouldn't dream of distracting you from your crusade against the original Batman, but any help you could give would be appreciated."

"Aw, c'mon, Mr. J, we can help a buddy out!" exclaimed Harley. "Don't be swayed by flattery, you dumb blonde!" she snapped. "We need to be focused on Batsy! There are two of us, Mr. J – we can focus on two things at once. How about you devote your energy to Batsy, and I devote mine to this Neo-Batsy? The problem is, we only have one body with a limited amount of energy, and which can't be in two places at the same time. If we're fighting two enemies, things can and will get complicated. If it ain't complicated, it ain't fun, remember how you used to say that, Mr. J? Using my own words against me, huh, you little minx?" sighed Harley, smiling. She chuckled. "Well, all right. But this is your caper, not mine. I ain't coming to bail you out if you screw it up. Don't worry, puddin', I can do it," she said, nodding and turning her blue eyes on Crane. "Sure I'll help you out, Johnny. Let's meet tomorrow and think up a plan, ok? It'll have to be in the morning though, because we're meeting Harvey tomorrow afternoon, at least, we are if he accepts the invite."

"Tomorrow morning sounds perfect," said Crane, standing up. "Thank you, Harley. And you too, Joker, I suppose."

"Thank you, Joley," repeated Harley, blowing out another bubble. "That's us now."

"Joley it is," repeated Crane, nodding and backing away before the bubble could pop. "Good day then. Honestly, Jonathan, the things you do for revenge," he sighed, heading out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

"I still think this is a terrible idea, Bruce," said Tim Drake.

"Seconded," spoke up Barbara Gordon.

"Thirded," said Alfred, raising an arched eyebrow at Bruce as he applied makeup in front of a mirror.

"Your objections are all noted," retorted Bruce. "But Bruce Wayne is dead, so adopting a disguise is necessary."

"_A _disguise, perhaps so, sir," said Alfred. "But electing to disguise yourself as a henchman in order to gain employment with Scarecrow so that you can spy on his plans against Master Todd seems like the height of folly. What if you're caught?"

"Why would I be caught?" asked Bruce. "Scarecrow isn't exactly going to be on the lookout for me – he has no reason to suspect I'd be spying on him. And if you think I can't pass for a lowlife thug after putting so many of them away, then frankly, I'm a little insulted."

"I just think there has to be a better way," said Barbara. "We could use surveillance to spy on Scarecrow…"

"And how would you install cameras and microphones to do that?" asked Bruce. "Assuming you know where his hideout is, which we don't, but which I'm going to find by blending in with his henchmen."

"I could follow a henchman back to the hideout, sneak in with recording equipment, and then sneak out," said Tim. "Which is a much better idea."

"I prefer the hands on approach," retorted Bruce.

"You've certainly always preferred the more dangerous and foolhardy approach," sighed Alfred. "But I suppose there's nothing any of us can do to stop you. None of us can physically subdue you, for instance."

"No, and I'm not a child," said Bruce. "I know what I'm doing."

"You always think you do, Bruce, but then things happen, like Barbara getting kidnapped by Jason, or me getting kidnapped by Scarecrow," reminded Tim. "Why can't we talk about this and think up a better plan together?"

"We don't have time," retorted Bruce. "I know Scarecrow is out there plotting revenge as we speak – every second we leave him to it, Jason is in danger. I can't abandon him again…"

"Bruce, I know you feel guilty about what happened to Jason," said Barbara, gently. "But it wasn't your fault. And he can't be saved if he doesn't want to be."

"If I can't save him, I can at least protect him," replied Bruce. "Which I couldn't from Joker. But I won't fail him again. Not this time."

"Sir, if you die trying to protect Master Todd, he will never forgive himself," said Alfred. "He's already angry and hurting and vulnerable. Don't give him guilt to deal with as well."

"Have a little faith in me, Alfred," retorted Bruce. "Scarecrow failed at killing me once – why would he succeed now when he's not even gunning for me?"

"And what if you encounter Harley?" demanded Alfred. "Or whatever she is now. You think _he _won't recognize you, whatever your disguise?"

Bruce said nothing. "Joker doesn't want me dead," he muttered.

"No, but the last thing you want is to be dragged back into his twisted game," said Alfred. "Be careful, sir."

"I will be," said Bruce, heading for the door. "I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine. I'm always fine," he muttered, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

"I really hope he is," sighed Tim.

"So do I, sir," murmured Alfred, staring after him. "So do I."

…

Bruce made his way to downtown Gotham, to a dank and dirty bar called _The Stacked Deck_, which was well-known to be a place where the various supercriminals' henchmen gathered, to drown their sorrows in drink and complain about their respective leaders. He shuffled into the shadowy establishment, and took a seat in the corner, looking around for someone he could recognize as being connected to Scarecrow. Or at least, eavesdrop to see if anyone was talking about Scarecrow.

"I'm telling you, she's gone nuts," said a voice at the table next to him.

Another man snorted. "What, more nuts than usual? More nuts than she was after Joker died, and she tried blowing up the old Steel Mill in Arkham City with everyone inside?"

"More nuts than that," said the first voice. "It's like…I dunno…like there's two of her in there. Is that what it's like working for Harvey?"

"Harvey's got a good side and a bad side, and you can tell which one is in control at all times," replied the second voice. "Is that what she's got?"

"I guess kinda…not sure one's good or bad, though…it's just like she's got two separate people inside her, and they usually agree, but sometimes they don't, and then it's like a big fight between herself…I dunno how to explain it really. You just gotta see her for yourself."

"No, thanks. Working for Harvey, I've seen enough split personalities to last me a lifetime. He's meeting with her right now, and if she also has this bipolar thing, they're gonna probably get along like a house on fire. Hell, with Joker gone, maybe she'll hook up with him, and we'll have a new nutzo supervillain power couple."

"But see, that's the weird thing," said Harley's henchman. "Joker is dead, but she keeps talking like he's alive. Like he's…with her…inside her, or something. At first I thought it was just her talking to his spirit, like when people talk to their loved ones' graves, looking for guidance. But it's like…he responds…as her…or she responds as him…or something. That's what makes it so creepy. It's like she's…possessed. By Joker."

"Hey, sorry I'm late," said another man, taking a seat at their table. "Scarecrow's very keen to get started on his plan after his meeting with Harley this morning. He came back to the hideout buzzing with excitement – I guess whatever they got planned for this Neo-Batman is pretty brutal."

"Or maybe she and Scarecrow have hooked up," suggested Two-Face's henchman, shrugging. "Hooking up with her would sure have me buzzing with excitement."

"Are you kidding? Have you seen that guy's face?" demanded Scarecrow's henchman. "Trust me, you can barely look at him without feeling sick. No woman in her right mind would have anything to do with that."

"No woman in her right mind would have had anything to do with the Joker," retorted Two-Face's henchman. "So we already know Harley ain't in her right mind, and Rocco here said she's even crazier than usual. Maybe it's the lack of sex that's making her like that, so maybe she's fixing it by hooking up with multiple guys."

"That's not Harley," said Rocco, downing his drink. "She's loyal to a fault, even to the memory of a dead man. Again, assuming he_ is_ dead, which I'm beginning to have strong doubts about."

"Well, you should have seen the boss this morning – he was like a kid at Christmas," said Scarecrow's henchman, as he beckoned the waitress over to order a drink. "I haven't seen him this excited since his big attack on Gotham. So whatever he and Harley are planning, it's serious. I wouldn't be in that Neo-Batman's shoes if you paid me a million dollars. Scotch on the rocks, please, sweetheart," he said to the waitress.

"Make it two," said Bruce, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to them at the table.

They all stared at him. "And you are?" asked Rocco.

"The name's Matches Malone," said Bruce, pulling out a cigarette. "I think you've probably heard of me."

"Yeah. Last I heard you were working with Firefly when you had a disagreement over what building you were gonna burn," said Rocco. "The rumor was he barbecued you."

"Greatly exaggerated," retorted Bruce, lighting the cigarette with a match. "But I did have a falling out with Firefly, so I'm in the market for a new boss. I couldn't help overhearing that Scarecrow had something planned for this Neo-Batman creep, and I wondered where I could sign up."

"I don't think the boss is looking to employ new henchmen," said Scarecrow's henchman, warily.

"I think Scarecrow's smart enough to know he could always use spares," retorted Bruce. "Especially if the rumors are true, and this Neo-Batman isn't afraid to kill henchmen. Besides, wouldn't you feel better if you had strength in numbers going up against someone like that?"

"I'd prefer to keep my job, if it's all the same to you," retorted Scarecrow's henchman. "Why doncha join up with one of these guys' freak bosses?" he asked, gesturing at Rocco and Two-Face's henchman. "If Harley's meeting with both Scarecrow and Two-Face, I'm guessing they're all three planning something to take down this Neo-Batman jerk."

"Well, from what I heard, this Neo-Batman uses fear gas," retorted Bruce. "If I was looking to go up against him, I'd rather work for the guy who invented it, in the hopes he'd give his henchmen some sort of antidote to it."

"Hey, that's a good point," said Rocco. "Do you think part of Harley's deal with Scarecrow was getting a fear gas vaccine for us?"

"How should I know?" demanded Scarecrow's henchman. "Why don't you ask her?"

"I told you, she creeps me out these days," said Rocco. "I don't like interacting with her unless absolutely necessary. Probably why Scarecrow gets along with her, actually."

"Why doncha take me to Scarecrow and let me talk to him and see if he'll hire me?" asked Bruce. "And I'll buy us all a round."

"I think the boss has better things to do with his time than concern himself with hiring new henchmen," said Scarecrow's henchman. "He's all excited about his big plans, and he isn't gonna wanna be bothered with details like hiring new people."

"All right, so just let me join and I'll prove myself on the job," said Bruce. "I'll buy you two rounds, and anything else you might think fair for letting me come along with you. What do you say?"

"I say that friends don't say no to free drinks," said Rocco. "Come on, Tony, give the guy a break. This is Matches Malone we're talking about – he's got the street cred. I think Scarecrow would be honored to have someone like that in his crew."

"Seconded," said Two-Face's henchman, nodding. "Be a pal and let the guy join up."

"All right," sighed Tony. "We'll get a few rounds and then I'll take you back to the hideout. The boss should have orders for us this evening – he said he wanted to get things started as soon as possible. Let's hope this time the thing he's planning works out."

The waitress returned with the drinks, and Tony raised his glass. "To the end of Neo-Batman," he said. "May he go the way of the real Batman, Bruce Wayne, who I hope is rotting in hell as we speak."

"Hear, hear," said Two-Face's henchman. "God, I still can't believe that rich son of a bitch thought he could just take the law into his own hands like that."

"There's one rule for rich folks, and other rules for guys like us, you know that, Jimmy," said Rocco. "This Neo-Batman's probably exactly the same, some guy raised with a silver spoon in his mouth who thinks he's so much better than everyone else that he can just kill 'em. Someone who probably never had to do an unpleasant job in his life, but thinks his life is so goddamn tough that he's gotta make others as miserable as he is. Some spoiled, self-entitled rich boy who'd rather hurt and kill guys like us than deal with the problems he's got going on inside. If anyone ever belonged locked up in Arkham with the headshrinkers, it was Bruce Wayne. His parents die, and he takes it upon himself to avenge 'em by beating the crap outta every criminal he encounters, thinking that'll somehow help the pain, or bring 'em back. The shrinks coulda done him a lotta good by making him realize that his desire to exert power over others stemmed from his own powerlessness when it really mattered. Or that's what Harley said, and she was a shrink."

"Who is also crazy," reminded Bruce.

"Yeah, but it makes sense to me though," said Rocco, nodding.

"Me too," agreed Jimmy. "You know, my parents were gunned down by rival criminals too, so I took care of the rival criminals, not _all _criminals. It's like someone's family getting killed in a car accident, and then setting out to destroy all cars. It's both crazy and stupid, and say what you like about our bosses being crazy, but they ain't stupid."

"Well, I think it was a little stupid of Scarecrow to work with that Arkham Knight guy," said Tony. "Fair enough teaming up with fellow Gotham freaks, although those don't usually end well either, but outsiders? You can't trust 'em. It was bound to end in failure. Plus you know anybody who hated Batman that much had to have other issues that would eventually make him unreliable as an ally. I coulda seen it coming a mile off, but Scarecrow couldn't."

"They sometimes get over-enthusiastic, which blinds them to the practical side of things," said Rocco. "Trust me, working for Joker all these years, I could tell you several plans that were destined to fail, but that the boss insisted on. That was J though – jokes over practicalities. Call me crazy, but I do miss him."

"I think we all kinda do," admitted Jimmy. "Love him or hate him, you gotta admit he was always entertaining."

"To the Clown Prince of Crime," said Tony, raising his glass again. "May he rest in peace."

"The boss wouldn't like peace," said Rocco, shaking his head. "May he rest in chaos, wherever he is."

"Closer than you think," muttered Bruce as he drained his glass. "And probably right in the middle of chaos."


	4. Chapter 4

"This really isn't necessary, Harley," said Two-Face, as he sat at a table in Harley's hideout. "I mean, I've sampled your cooking, so I'd rather skip lunch and just get down to business."

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by my cooking, Harvey," said Harley, smiling as she stirred a pot on the burner.

"Have you been taking lessons?" asked Two-Face.

"No, but I surprise myself these days," replied Harley. "It's amazing what you can accomplish if you just relax and listen to the little voice inside you…well, look who I'm talking to!" she laughed. "Is your bad half a good cook, or is he just bad at everything for consistency's sake?"

"I don't tend to cook for myself, since the last time I did, I burned half the meal and left the other half raw," replied Two-Face.

"Yeah, why mess with a good gimmick?" asked Harley, her green eyes bright as she served up the meal she had been cooking. She took two plates over to the table and placed one in front of Two-Face. "Well, go on, eat up," she said.

"You first," he retorted.

"Now Harvey, I know you're a suspicious kinda guy, but you can't honestly think I'd poison you?" she asked. "Or is your insistence on ladies first just due to your gentlemanly nature?"

"It's due to the fact that I don't trust you," retorted Two-Face. "No offense. I know we all pretended to be best buddies when Scarecrow had us on board for that attack on Gotham thing, but nine months before that we were in the middle of a gang war in Arkham City on opposing sides. I'm not convinced you've forgiven me for that – you certainly never used to forgive anyone who crossed Joker."

"Well, he's dead now, isn't he?" asked Harley, her green eyes bright. "No point in trying to avenge a dead man. We need to leave the past in the past, and move forward toward a bright future together. I want us to be friends, Harvey. I want us to be close," she said, her hand sliding onto his.

"Um…o…k," he said, slowly. "I'm not really sure what you mean by that…"

"I'll try to be a little clearer," she said, grinning at him as she leaned over and adjusted her top slightly to reveal her cleavage. But then her face fell into a frown as her body pulled back. "No, we are not doing this!" she hissed, her blue eyes furious. "I am not letting you do this! Just be quiet, you little brat!" she snarled, her green eyes flashing fury. "This is a great gag! It is not a great gag – it's disrespectful to your memory, and I'll be damned if anyone says I'm that! Plus how weird must this be for you trying to seduce a man? I think it's really funny, actually, so just shut up and play along! No, we are not offering him our body! Yes, we are! No, we're not!"

"Uh…Harley…" stammered Two-Face, watching her lurch backwards and forwards. "Are you…ok?"

"You can't honestly want to try this!" exclaimed Harley, ignoring Two-Face. "I don't think he will want to try it, but it's a fun joke! It won't be a fun joke if he accepts! I'm not cheating on you, and anyway, I doubt you'll enjoy it with a man! I think it'll be hysterical how traumatized he'll be whether I enjoy it or not! It's too far for a damn joke, and I'm not playing along! Harley, you will do as I say, or so help me, you're gone! Try it, pal! I will! I'll show you, you useless dame!"

Her hand suddenly shot out and knocked the plate of pasta onto her lap. "Jesus, what are you doing, you dumb blonde?" Harley roared, standing up suddenly. "What I have to to make you see sense, you selfish ingrate!"

"Harley…" began Two-Face again, extremely concerned, but she suddenly stood up, heading for the neighboring room.

"Excuse me for just a second, Harvey," she said, slamming the door. Two-Face stared after her, hearing the arguing continuing.

"Wow. And I thought I had problems," he commented, examining the plate of food in front of him. He cautiously dipped a finger into the sauce and then tasted it. "Actually, it's not too bad," he muttered to himself. "I guess she really has been taking lessons."

"Now where were we?" asked Harley, re-entering the room. "Oh yes, skipping lunch and getting down to business," she said, settling herself on the table in front of him and batting her green eyes.

"Harley, are you seriously attempting to seduce me?" asked Two-Face. "Because first off, I'm not flattered, since your type was the Joker, and second off, I'm not going anywhere where he's been, if you take my meaning."

"You _should _be flattered, since the Joker was the most attractive man who ever lived," snapped Harley, her green eyes flashing. "He had a perfect body, until it was destroyed and he was forced to settle for inferior specimens! But there's no reason why we can't have a little fun with the joke – I mean, I'd rather it was the Bat, but he's in on the joke, so the punchline won't be as funny when it's revealed."

"What punchline?" asked Two-Face.

"Just trust me – it's going to be a laugh riot," murmured Harley, leaning forward with her lips parted.

"Sorry to interrupt, Joley, but there was no henchman outside, and I just wanted to confirm…" began Scarecrow, entering the room at that moment. "Oh my God, what are you doing?" he demanded, seeing the situation in the room.

"Having a little fun with a joke!" snapped Harley, her green eyes flashing angrily. "So beat it, sack-face!"

"It's not what you think – I'm really not interested in her at all," said Two-Face. "It's just awkward because you don't wanna be too aggressive shoving a lady away…"

"Well, you're lucky that that's not a lady then," retorted Crane. "Which makes it even more awkward."

"What are you talking about?" asked Two-Face.

"Oh fine, ruin the joke!" snapped Harley. "You're a wet blanket, just like Harley! Thanks, Johnny, I appreciate you arriving when you did," she sighed, her blue eyes looking relieved. "He had locked me up in here, and I'm honestly not sure how far he's willing to take that joke, which is scary."

"Would somebody please tell me what's going on?" demanded Two-Face. "Since when did Harley have a split personality? I'm a little insulted that she's copying me, frankly."

"She's not copying you, and it's not a split personality," retorted Crane. "It's very hard to explain, but…she's got the Joker in there with her. The two of them are sharing one body now. Think of it sort of as demonic possession."

"Right…demonic possession," said Two-Face, slowly. "She's gone crazy from the grief, hasn't she?" he whispered to Scarecrow. "I always knew it would happen one day, that she'd completely snap and lose all grip on reality."

"No, I promise you, it's true," said Crane. "Jervis and I facilitated it. She's Joley now – Joker and Harley combined into one form, but with two separate consciousnesses which are often at war with each other."

"Only when somebody is being unreasonable," muttered Harley, sitting down and sulkily poking at her lunch. "Like the spoilsport she is."

Two-Face stared at him. "You realize that doesn't make sense, right?" he asked, slowly. "Joker's dead…"

"I'm not dead, you two-faced monstrosity!" snapped Harley, her green eyes flashing. "I know you've been wishing I was for a long time – like that time you put me on trial in Arkham City, and Harley had to stall for time until Batman could come rescue me, even though I had everything under control! Your idiot henchmen had to search me twice, and then tie me up twice, and then you had to give your big spiel twice about how it wasn't anything personal, just the coin telling you what to do, and then you flipped the coin, and then you dropped the coin, and I thought that was hysterical so I laughed at you, and then you said it _was _personal now, and that you wouldn't stop until I was dead, and I told you that I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of killing me, and that I was saving myself for Batsy, and you said Batsy would never kill, and I said I bet I can make him, and then one of your henchmen came in and said Ivy was demanding her own special place away from the meatsacks, or she wouldn't testify at the trial, and you said you had a special place for her body after you hit it with a truck, and I said I'd take the truck after you were done and hit her again just to be sure, and you laughed, but then said you were still gonna kill me. Which you never did," she finished, downing her drink.

Two-Face stared at her, growing more aghast as he realized the situation. "Oh my God…she came on to me!" he exclaimed. "At least, I hope she did…"

"She did not!" snapped Harley, her blue eyes flashing. "As if I could ever possibly be interested in anyone besides my Mr. J! Especially now that he's here inside me, I've got everything I've ever wanted," she sighed. "But I guess he thought coming on to you was a funny joke. I didn't _think _it was a funny joke – it _was _a funny joke!" she snapped, her green eyes returning. "Just look at his traumatized little faces!" she chuckled, beaming at Two-Face.

"If you're done playing childish pranks, I did have a question for Harley," sighed Crane. "It's always been difficult trying to have a real conversation with her because of your inane antics, which have only grown stronger now that you actually have possession of her body."

"I just believe in equal opportunity for comedy," retorted Harley. "Harley wasn't funny before, but with me in her body, she could be hysterical! She just needs the guts to try for it. I have the guts, and I also have a little bit of dignity, thanks," she retorted, rolling her blue eyes. "Dignity is the death of comedy, you know that, toots!" she snapped. "Or you're gonna learn that while I'm in here!"

"This is hugely confusing, and even more disturbing," said Two-Face.

"You just need to keep track of her eye color to tell who's in control," said Crane. "Actually, it's easier to tell than whichever half is in control of you, Harvey."

"Well, both my halves agree, without flipping the coin, that we're getting out of here right now before things get any weirder…" said Two-Face, heading for the door.

"Hey, no, don't be like that, Harv!" exclaimed Harley. "You haven't even heard our proposition yet!"

"I did hear your proposition, and the answer was no," he retorted. "And now it's definitely no."

"C'mon, I wouldn't have actually tricked you into sex with me," said Harley. "It was just a joke to see how far I could push you. But I woulda cooled you down before things got too awkward – I just wanted to feel what it was like to have that female power of seduction. Not that I haven't always had an irresistible power of seduction, ask Harley, but it's different for women…"

"J, Harley, or whatever you are, I'm not interested," he interrupted. "I've got enough on my plate already with my plan to take down this Neo-Batman."

"Wait, what plan?" demanded Crane. "Harley and I have a plan to take down Neo-Batman, and I'll bet ours is better."

"It's not a competition," retorted Two-Face. "As long as the little brat is dead, I don't care who does it."

"You should join us," spoke up Harley. "We could always use the extra henchmen."

"Thanks, but I've had enough of you, and I've definitely had enough of Scarecrow's promises," retorted Two-Face. "I recall him very specifically saying that with all our combined forces and the Arkham Knight's militia, Batman was dead for certain, and Gotham would be ours. But only one of those objectives was achieved, and only because Bruce Wayne decided to kill himself after being exposed as Batman. Which was a good move on his part, because his death was the only way justice could have been served after he caused half my face to be burnt off."

"Yes, and it was thanks to me that Bruce Wayne was exposed as Batman!" snapped Crane. "So that should count for something!"

"And actually, neither of those objectives were achieved," added Harley. "Considering Bruce Wayne didn't kill himself."

Two-Face turned to her. "He's still alive?" he asked, quietly.

"Yeah, _I _was alive in his head throughout that whole Arkham Knight thing," said Harley, nodding. "He faked his own death, but he's still out there. He's not as obvious or overt as he used to be, but he still wants to keep a protective eye on his friends and associates," she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a photograph of Batman conversing with Neo-Batman on a rooftop.

Two-Face looked from the photo to Harley. "You mean there's two of them now?" he murmured.

"Yep, double the fun!" chuckled Harley. "And twice the fun to take 'em both down. I got dibbs on Brucey, but I'm willing to share, and Harley and Craney have cooked up something for the Bat brat. You in?"

Two-Face slowly pulled out his coin and flipped it into the air. It landed good side up, and he nodded. "I'm in."


	5. Chapter 5

"All right, Matches, c'mon," said Tony, as he led him into the ruins of the Ace Chemicals factory, now overgrown with weeds so that only the outer shells of the buildings remained.

"Not very homey," commented Bruce.

"I think that's why the boss likes it," replied Tony. "Y'know, it's all creepy and dead and post-apocalyptic. That's sorta his style. You'll get used to it, working for him."

"I'm sure," said Bruce, nodding. "So do you have any idea what Scarecrow's plans are for this Neo-Batman kid?"

"Nah, but I'm sure he'll brief us," said Tony. "I bet it's nasty, whatever it is. The boss gets a sick kinda pleasure in torturing people - I guess a lot of those freaks do. I never understood the appeal though. You wanna whack a guy, you whack a guy, don't draw the whole process out and give him a chance to escape. That's just common sense. But the bosses we got here in Gotham, everything's gotta be a show with 'em. Buncha drama queens if you ask me, but don't tell 'em I said that."

"You're right," agreed Bruce. "Batman woulda been dead a long time ago if they'd just shot him, rather than telling him their plans and giving him time to escape."

"Well, at least he's dead now," said Tony. "That's why it's best to work for Scarecrow – he's the guy who unmasked the Bat, and directly caused his death. That's more success than any of the other freaks have ever had, which means he's the smartest. It's nice to know that something your boss plans might actually work, unlike everyone else's. Plus Rocco said Harley has gone crazier than usual, and if you work for Two-Face, you're always just a coin flip away from death. Scarecrow doesn't just randomly fear gas his henchmen. At least, he hasn't lately," he added, as they entered the remains of the central mixing chamber in the old factory.

"Anthony, you're late," said Crane, glaring at the henchman from the raised platform above them. "And who's this?"

"This is Matches Malone, boss," said Tony, nodding at Bruce. "He wants to join your crew to help get rid of this Neo-Batman jerk."

"I see. Do you have any henching experience?" asked Crane.

"I used to hench for Firefly until we had a professional disagreement," said Bruce. "I've also done time with Penguin and Riddler's crew."

"D-list villains all," sighed Crane. "But I suppose beggars can't be choosers, and the more the merrier for this operation. Welcome aboard, Mr. Malone, now please remain silent throughout the following briefing," he said, pulling down a screen and pulling out a pointer.

"Our target is the Neo-Batman," he announced, as a picture of him flashed up onto the screen. "It is my personal belief that his identity is the same as that of the Arkham Knight, as he has stolen my fear toxin for use against criminals, which was never its intended purpose. Not only is it theft – it is theft directly at odds with the creator's vision, which multiplies the crime tenfold. Anyway, you all remember how the Arkham Knight ruined everything, all my carefully laid plans which would have ended with my control of the city but instead got me locked up in the madhouse. So this crusade is not only for justice, but for vengeance, a much more righteous cause than a nebulous balancing of the universe. Vengeance for a personal ill is personal, and like all personal slights, it motivates us much more than any vague, high-handed ideals. And we'll be getting some help for it – we're working with another two of the supercriminals, and naturally their gangs. I hope strength in numbers will be to our advantage, but then again, we had hundreds of militia during the invasion of Gotham, and they couldn't even manage to hold the city, or kill one man…"

"But then that was kinda your fault, wasn't it, Craney?" asked a voice, as Harley and Two-Face entered the room, followed by a huge number of henchmen. "All that 'don't kill him yet, he needs to feel fear, I need to break him,' etc. Mind you, I'm glad you didn't kill him, for my own sake, but it feels like you're blaming somebody else for a situation you easily could have fixed yourself."

"Thank you for that," retorted Crane. "Of course there were aspects to my plan that, in hindsight, brought about its failure, but nobody can foresee these things…"

"I think any idiot can foresee that if you tell people not to kill a guy, he's not gonna die," interrupted Harley. "People just have this annoying habit of continuing to live unless you abruptly put a stop to it. But sure, it's probably somebody else's fault. Although honestly, if this is the way you brief your henchmen, it's 100% your fault they never do anything they're told to do – you can't expect engagement from people of limited intelligence if you lecture them like a professor. But I guess old habits die hard, don't they, Dr. Crane? Thanks for starting the briefing without us, by the way - our guys coulda missed a huge chunk of it, not that it looks very entertaining. Here, I'll take over," she said, shoving him out of the way. "These people are begging for a stand-up comedian to entertain them, and that's my specialty! Actually, puddin', I normally just tell 'em the plan with a few insults thrown in," she commented, her eyes switching to blue. "Well, that's not how I do things, Harley!" she snapped, her green eyes flashing. "I can't help being hilarious - it's just my nature!"

"How dare you try to usurp my talk to _my _henchmen?" demanded Crane. "I don't tend to manhandle ladies, but I know in this case I should make an exception…"

"Yeah, but now our henchmen are here too," interrupted Two-Face. "And she's right, they're not gonna listen closely to this. A PowerPoint lecture instantly makes people tune out – believe me, I used to work in the corporate world, and it was the first step to people falling asleep in meetings. You should engage with them, give 'em a few rabble rousing speeches."

"I don't think you're qualified to lecture me on crowd psychology," snapped Crane. "Nor is it the time or the place to lecture me on the intelligence of our henchmen – they're right there, after all! And even the dullest college student was kept awake during my lectures!"

"Probably because you gassed 'em if they fell asleep," retorted Harley. "It was like consenting to become a guinea pig for you. Which, you remember, a few of these henchmen guys were, so it seems like you shot yourself in the foot with that, launching a fear gas attack on the whole city and then trying to recruit support from that same city. No wonder you need our help – you had like ten guys in here before we arrived."

"They're a small but spirited bunch," retorted Crane. "Most importantly, they're loyal no matter what. That's what you need in a henchman."

"Or crazy," muttered Two-Face. "Which also helps."

"Why don't you two just let me finish my overview, and if you feel the need to add anything, wait until the end?" asked Crane. "We don't need too many leaders up here confusing everyone."

"You just said they weren't as stupid as they look, and now you're saying they're gonna be confused by our presence," retorted Harley. "Doesn't make a lotta sense."

"Just go sit down," snapped Crane. "Please," he added.

"C'mon, Mr. J, let's not start things out on the wrong foot. You said you were gonna stay out of this, after all. All right, but I'm chiming in if I feel like it. Nobody tells me what to do," she muttered, sitting down on a chair beside Crane and folding her arms across her chest. Bruce studied her scowling expression, noting the green eyes as she reached into her pocket for a packet of cigarettes, took one out, and put it to her lips. Then he saw her eyes flash blue as she hissed, "Mr. J! I said no smoking in my body! Are you deaf?! I just told Craney nobody tells me what to do!" she snapped, her green eyes bright as she lit a match. "We'll smoke if I wanna! But I don't know how to smoke! Well, I do, and I'm in charge!" she snapped, lighting the cigarette and inhaling. She immediately launched into a fit of coughing which interrupted Crane's lecture just as he had restarted it.

Harley doubled over, coughing uncontrollably, while Crane glared at her, and then said, "Somebody get her some water, for goodness sake!"

Two-Face returned with a glass, which Harley gulped down. "Thanks, Harvey," she gasped, her blue eyes watering. "I don't know why he'd do something so stupid! You realize if we get lung cancer and die, you're dead too! I'm not afraid of lung cancer, or dying! I died once before and I'm still here, so I'm not afraid to do it again! A little smoke ain't gonna kill me when both Titan and Batman already did it!" she shouted, her green eyes furious.

The henchmen all stared at her. "Ignore her ramblings – she's fine," said Crane. "Now as I was saying, the Neo-Batman has been careful so far in hiding his comings and goings, but we believe we have found his lair at last. To that end, we will surround it and block all possible exits, and then, like smoking an animal from its den, I will flood the building with a stronger strain of my fear gas which he has never before encountered, and which will eventually stop his heart. If he tries to escape, the men surrounding the building will gun him down like a dog. But not before he suffers as I suffered by his betrayal, not before he gets a taste of the terror he inflicted on me…"

"Oh my God, did you not learn your lesson from that Arkham Knight scenario?" interrupted Two-Face. "Look, I am all for suffering and grand traps if you don't actually wanna kill the guy, but I think everyone seriously does want to kill this Neo-Batman! The little brat just needs to die already!"

"He _will_ die – that's what the guns outside the hideout are for!" snapped Crane. "This way there's no waiting as there was with Batman. The fear gassing and the shooting all takes place at the same location, at almost the same time. And with Batman, it was just me with a gun – this time we'll have us and all our combined henchmen. There's no way he'll get out of that trap alive."

"That's definitely what you said about the plan with the Arkham Knight – I was there," said Two-Face.

"Yes, but then the Arkham Knight betrayed me by coming to Batman's rescue," snapped Crane. "This time Neo-Batman's alone. He has no friends to save him."

"What about Bruce Wayne?" asked Two-Face. "You said he wasn't dead."

The henchmen all started muttering in surprise. "He's not," said Harley, smiling. "He's here, in fact, sporting a not very convincing mustache. I guess he's got outta practice on the disguises since the whole Batman gig went sour."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Crane.

"He's right there," said Harley, pointing at Bruce. "You're telling me you don't recognize that square jaw and those piercing blue eyes? Maybe it's just cause I've been in his head, but he can't hide from me anymore," she murmured, as her green eyes focused on him.

Bruce instantly pelted toward the door, past the faces of the shocked henchmen who were too stunned to do anything to stop him. He had almost made it when something collided with the back of his skull, and he fell to the ground with a grunt.

"Glad I brought one of these along that wasn't implanted with explosives," commented Harley, as she came over to Bruce to retrieve the jack-in-the-box which had struck him in the head. Two henchmen hauled Bruce to his feet as Harley bent down and ripped off his fake mustache, her green eyes sparkling as she beamed at him. "Hello, Brucie," she murmured. "Miss me?"


	6. Chapter 6

Bruce didn't remember anything after that – he had been clubbed on the back of the head and lost consciousness. He awoke in a dark, windowless room, to find himself tied to a chair.

"About time you woke up," said Harley's voice next to him. "I guess as you get older, it takes longer to recover from being beaten unconscious. Happens to the best of us, I guess."

Bruce's eyes focused to see Harley seated next to him, wearing his fake mustache, and studying him with intent green eyes. "I gotta say, I like this," she said, indicating the mustache. "I've never been a fan of facial hair before, but when you're trapped in a woman's body, it's nice to regain some touch of masculinity, even if it is fake."

"I'm sure Harley appreciates you describing yourself as trapped in her body after she saved you from being locked away in mine," growled Bruce.

"Oh, I'm grateful to the little brat, sure," she said, waving her hand. "And she gets rewarded for it. But it's just not the same as being in my body, or even yours. Less raw, brute strength, for one thing. But hey, I'm lighter on my feet, and I got boobs, so it's all good."

"What do you want?" demanded Bruce.

"I want what I've always wanted, Brucie," said Harley, smiling at him. "To spend time with my favorite nemesis. To be locked in an eternal battle of comedy versus tragedy to see who wins. But we both know neither of us can ever win, because life is a mixture of both. We're two sides of the same coin, to steal Harvey's metaphor, which can never be separated, and which can never destroy each other. Yet still we struggle on. I live for that struggle, and I know you do too, because I've been inside your head. I've seen your innermost thoughts, how you couldn't stand not being out there as Batman after you faked your own death. How death would have been a better fate for you than living your life in useless hiding in the Batcave. You need the fight too, the conflict, the action, otherwise you're bored. Worse, you're scared – you can't hide from those emotions and thoughts you banish whenever your fist collides with a criminal's face. You begin to feel guilt, pain, fear…and worse, you begin to doubt. You begin to question what you've done to this city and its people, to the people you couldn't save, and the people you've influenced into working with you. Their fates are all your fault. Craney knew that when he fear gassed you, and I've always known that, hence my masterpiece with Jason. You tell yourself you're only back to being Batman now to save Jason, but you're driven again by your guilt over abandoning him to me all those years ago. There was never any righteousness or justice in your cause – that was just something you told yourself to feel better. But the truth is you were always motivated by running away from something, instead of striving toward something. You're a bully and a coward. At least, that's Dr. Crane's diagnosis, and Harley agrees with him. Two shrinks can't be wrong, right?" she chuckled.

"And you want to kill Jason so it'll just be the two of us again, is that it?" demanded Batman. "Because that's what happens when I drag my friends into this crazy little game of ours, right?"

"I don't want to kill Jason at all," retorted Harley. "If I had, I woulda done it when I had the chance. No, that's the other freaks who are keen on that – Crane for revenge and Harvey and Harley just to show they can. Street cred or something – it was always the same when we competed to kill you, trying to pointlessly outdo the other over some perceived victory. They just like the thought of petty fights for petty reasons. But I'm only here because Harley dragged me here – I'm bored to death by the thought of killing Jason, and slightly resentful of them trying to ruin all my hard work in breaking his mind. But chances are they'll fail anyway – they always did when trying to kill you, and the kid was trained by you. He'll probably be fine."

"But they're not going to stop trying," said Bruce. "And it won't be a never-ending battle this time. Jason will kill them if they fail to kill him. He'll kill you."

"He can try," retorted Harley. "But if you can't, what makes you think he can?"

"I never really wanted to kill you," said Bruce. "But he does."

"I told Crane, and I'll tell you, I ain't afraid of some punk kid," retorted Harley. "But don't pretend that you're not afraid_ for_ him."

"Of course I'm afraid!" shouted Bruce. "It almost broke me when I thought you had killed him. If they do kill him, it'll break me again. If you really want to keep fighting me, surely that's the worst outcome of all? If I just give up in despair?"

"You wouldn't do that," said Harley. "And don't call me Shirley."

"Wouldn't I?" asked Bruce. "I'm a fighter, sure. But there's only so much fighting I can take. That's what I realized during the invasion of Gotham. There's only so much one man can do. Even if my identity hadn't been compromised, I couldn't have carried on after that night. I lost too much. I lost faith in myself. It was all my fault, everything that happened, you're right. All the people who died because Crane and Jason were gunning for me. I did more harm than good, and I destroyed my city. Everything I sought to protect, I ruined. Including myself. I couldn't go on after that. I should have died, because living in hiding is a fate worse than death for me. But I couldn't die when there were still messes I had made that I had to clean up. And that mess was Jason, and now you. It's my fault you're back. And if the only way to take you down is to stop fighting, to stop playing this game you love, then that's what I'm going to do, no matter the cost to myself. I've already paid more than I can bear. If they kill Jason, that's it for me. And that's it for you."

Harley studied him, her green eyes boring into his. "You were never the kinda guy to joke about things like that," she murmured. "Or anything, really." She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Then I guess…we gotta make sure he doesn't die. I gotta let you go," she said, standing up. "You gotta go warn the kid, and save him from them. You gotta protect him whatever happens. His life, and ours, depend on it."

She flicked out a knife, cutting the ropes that bound him. "Maybe it's because you were in my head, but I think we understand each other better than we did before," said Bruce, as he stood up. "So I guess that's something."

"You'd be the greatest shrink alive if you could understand me," replied Harley, grinning. "Don't tell Harley."

She opened the door and peeked outside. "Coast looks clear," she said. "Hurry up and get outta here before someone sees you. I'll tell the other freaks you overpowered me in my weak girl's body…but of course it's gotta look convincing."

Bruce sighed. "You want me to tie you up?"

"Always," said Harley with a grin. "Make it as tight as you want," she added as she sat down on the vacated chair, and Bruce picked up the ropes.

"You just love making me uncomfortable, don't you?" sighed Bruce.

"What are friends for?" she asked, smiling. "And we are friends now, Bruce. Some could argue we always have been. I've always just wanted to help you see how alike we really are, and how we should be helping each other. But then again, I suppose we both_ were _helping each other by hurting each other. We both needed the pain. We're both twisted, damaged, messed up people like that, who can only be happy, or in your case, not completely miserable, unless we're being violent. But I think if you're gonna save Jason, you're gonna have to cross that line you never wanted to cross. You're going to have to become more than violent. You're going to have to become a killer."

"The only person I will ever kill is myself," muttered Bruce, tying the rope around Harley's waist, and the chair. "And I'm prepared to make that sacrifice if I must."

He was about to tie her hands to the arms of the chair, when she hugged him tightly around the neck. "Don't do that, Bats," she murmured. "You know I couldn't cope without you."

Bruce removed her arms from around his neck, and tied them to the chair. "Goodbye, Joker," he murmured, turning and heading out of the room without another word.

Harley giggled, leaning back in the chair as her eyes returned to blue. "All right, morons, come untie me!" she said. "He's gone!"

"I still don't like this," muttered Two-Face, opening the floor grate where he and Crane had been hiding. "We had him in our power – we should have just shot him in the head. Like I said, all these complicated traps and schemes are stupid if we actually wanna kill a guy."

"And how would you have found the Neo-Batman's lair?" demanded Crane, as he cut the ropes binding Harley. "We don't actually know where it is. Harley's right – it's best that we let Batman do the hard work of finding it, and we'll just follow him there, killing two bats with one ambush. He'll lead us right to him, assuming she planted the tracking device."

"What do you take me for, an amateur?" demanded Harley, rubbing her wrists. "I dropped it on him when I hugged him. I know Mr. J said he was staying outta this, but I do appreciate his great acting skills convincing the Bat to trust him. It's nothing, pooh – I just spoke from the heart," she sighed, her green eyes wistful. "Plus Harley has a better sincere face than I did – she can sell sincerity really well. I think that's why he bought the act. Well, that, and because I just told him the truth."

"But you're not going to interfere with us killing Neo-Batman, are you?" demanded Crane. "I mean, that stuff Batman said about not continuing on if Jason died…you don't seriously believe that, do you?"

"Hey, I said I'd stay outta it!" snapped Harley, her green eyes flashing. "And I will! I don't care what happens to the kid – as if that little brat's death could ever break Batsy! I broke two of his sidekicks irreparably, and he overcame that! He overcame his parents' deaths, for God's sake! The death of a spoiled brat who tried to kill him a few months ago is not gonna mess him up any more than he already is! He knows that – he was just bluffing, and trying to talk me into letting him go. He thinks it worked because he thinks he knows me now. But he was always too overconfident for his own good, and now he really is gonna be responsible for the little brat's death. Looks like the joke's gonna be on him after all!" she chuckled.

"Well, I don't like letting Batman go, but I do like double crossing people," muttered Two-Face, flipping his coin. "So I guess it evens out. Are we getting a reading on that tracker?"

"Oh yes," said Crane, pulling out a beeping device and smiling. "Let's get the men and play a game of follow the Bat."


	7. Chapter 7

"As much as I disapproved of Master Bruce running straight into the lion's den, I also disapprove of you doing the same," said Alfred, as Tim Drake crouched, perched over the old Ace Chemicals factory.

"He hasn't come out yet," muttered Tim, ignoring Alfred. "I'm going in."

"No, you're not!" snapped Barbara, taking over communication from Alfred. "At least, you're not if you want to stay married!"

"Because you think I'll die?" asked Tim.

"Because I'll divorce you for doing something so stupid and idiotic!" snapped Barbara. "Just wait, Tim!"

"What if he doesn't get out?" demanded Tim. "What if they've found him and they're torturing him in there? You want me to leave him to die?"

"He'd want you to, if the alternative was your life!" snapped Barbara.

"I couldn't live with myself, and neither could you," retorted Tim. "Could you, Barb?"

"Tim…we have to trust him," murmured Barbara. "Just give him a little more time. He's Batman. He's got this."

"I'm sure that's what Bruce thought about Jason," murmured Tim. "And look how that turned out."

"Joker set that up," retorted Barbara. "He knew what he did to Jason would end up destroying both him and Bruce. There was nothing anybody could have done to prevent that. But getting yourself killed trying to rescue Bruce accomplishes nothing. We don't even know if he's in trouble, and he'd resent you for coming to his rescue if he's not. Do you want to deal with him in a resentful mood?"

"Better than dealing with his death when I could have done something about it," muttered Tim.

"Tim, just wait, please…" began Barbara, but Tim interrupted her.

"Hang on, there he is," he said, noticing a figure hurrying away from Ace Chemicals. He swooped down, landing next to him. "Hi, Bruce. Where's your mustache?"

"What are you doing here?" demanded Bruce, rounding on him.

"I followed you," said Tim. "We were worried about you…"

"Well, I had everything under control, as usual," retorted Bruce. "You wasted your time, and you could have been caught."

"So could you," retorted Tim. "You're pretty obviously you without your mustache. You're just gonna hope you can wander around without anybody recognizing the dead celebrity, huh?"

Bruce sighed, pulling his cap down above his eyes. "Oh, well, that works," said Tim, sarcastically. "Hey, why don't you add some glasses for some real camouflage?"

"I would get an entirely new costume if I had time, but I don't," retorted Bruce. "I need to find Jason and warn him that Crane's planning an attack on his hideout."

"How did he find his hideout?" asked Tim.

"I don't know," retorted Bruce. "Maybe Jason was sloppy. It wouldn't be the first time. But I've got to get to him before Crane does. He's not going to show him any mercy, and I don't know how much of a head start I've got. Though hopefully he'll distract him for as long as he can…"

"He?" repeated Tim. "Who?"

"Joker," replied Bruce.

Tim stared at him. "Joker is…helping you?"

"In a way," agreed Bruce. "He doesn't want Jason dead any more than I do."

"And you…trust the Joker?" asked Tim, slowly.

"He was in my head," retorted Bruce. "You wouldn't understand…"

"No, I don't understand trusting the Joker, the man who paralyzed my wife for a punchline," interrupted Tim. "I can't imagine he's just magically reformed after being in your head so that he's now interested in saving people. I doubt you have that kind of influence on anyone, but especially not him."

"It's not about saving Jason, it's about saving…us," retorted Bruce.

"Did you just refer to you and the Joker as 'us'?" asked Tim, incredulous.

"You wouldn't understand, Tim," repeated Bruce. "But he's not interested in killing Jason."

"Oh, this must be a different Joker, then," said Tim, sarcastically. "Because the one I knew was always interested in killing anyone. Are you saying he's grown more compassionate being in Harley's body?"

"It's not that," said Bruce. "It's…never mind. I just need to find Jason," he said, striding off.

"Well, maybe I can help you," said Tim.

"No, thanks," said Bruce, continuing to walk. "Why don't you just go back home?"

"Oh, I get it," said Tim. "You'll accept help from the Joker, but not from me. Funny way to treat your friends and enemies."

Bruce sighed, turning back to him. "You can come along, but it's not going to be very exciting. Just me scouring Gotham…"

"Well, two pairs of eyes are better than one," said Tim, joining him. "Anyway, maybe I've got spies of my own scouring Gotham."

"Who?" asked Bruce. "Barbara?"

"She's got surveillance down, but you also need eyes on the ground," said Tim, nodding. "And for that, we need to head to the Pamela Isley Memorial Gardens."

"You're lecturing me about accepting help from the Joker, when you want to ask for help from those kids Ivy adopted?" demanded Bruce. "You know they tried to kill me?"

"They accidentally tried to kill you when you were under the influence of Tetch's mind machine," said Tim. "They were actually trying to kill Crane as revenge for Ivy, and you were just going to be collateral. Anyway, you of all people shouldn't underestimate the resourceful or resilience of orphans."

"I had hoped the police would find them and get them off the street," said Bruce. "I know that all orphans need a good home and a loving family."

"They'd probably say they already have one," replied Tim. "Anyway, the police said they searched the gardens and couldn't find any evidence of kids living there. But I'm pretty sure Ivy taught them how to avoid the police, and I'm also pretty sure they're tracking Jason. They always used to stalk people who used Crane's toxin anyway, vowing to completely destroy the thing which killed their mother. If anyone has any clue as to his whereabouts, it's gonna be them."

Bruce sighed. "What?" demanded Tim. "You're willing to get help from Joker, but not Ivy's orphans, after she sacrificed herself to save Gotham? I'm starting to think that the time Joker spent in your head messed you up more than you thought."

"Don't be ridiculous!" snapped Bruce. "He had absolutely no effect on me! I only wish he could have stayed there, where I could have safely confined him forever!"

"And you think if Harley hadn't broken him out, he would have just stayed safely locked away forever?" asked Tim. "You don't think he would have managed to break out eventually?"

"I'm stronger than him," retorted Bruce.

"Are you?" asked Tim. "Call me crazy, Bruce, but strength to me is a united thing – we're strong because we're all in this together, helping each other. The more allies you have, the stronger you are. So yes, you're stronger than the Joker, because aside from Harley, he doesn't have any allies, not really. But you've got lots. And I think we should add to our strength by getting help from those Ivy kids. We're all just weaker on our own, and the more friends the better, right?"

Bruce sighed again. "Fine," he muttered. "Let's go find them."

"Just a sec," said Tim, pulling off his hood and cape and tossing it at Bruce. "You need this more than I do, being a dead man walking and all. Plus you always were partial to a cape."

Bruce pulled it on and pulled the hood over his eyes. "Yeah, you'd never be recognized now," said Tim. "We just need to get you a scythe, and you could pass for the Grim Reaper. You've certainly got the grim part down pat."

Bruce said nothing, striding off in the direction of the Pamela Isley Memorial Gardens. "Never could take a joke," sighed Tim, following him. "At least that woulda been one good thing to come out of Joker being in his head."


	8. Chapter 8

"I don't see any kids," said Tim, looking around the gardens. "Do you think there's some kinda secret word we can use to summon them? Open Sesame Seeds, maybe?"

"There was only one way to ever get Ivy's attention," said Bruce, ignoring him and heading over to a flower. He reached out and seized its stem, preparing to pull it up by the root.

He was instantly surrounded by a dozen children, all pointing small weapons they had fashioned from plants at him. "Stay your hand, unless you would lose it," murmured one of the children, glaring at him.

"I'm not here to pick flowers," said Bruce, releasing the plant. "I'm looking for Neo-Batman, and I think you might know where he is."

"Even if we did, why would we share that information with you?" asked the child.

"Because I want to stop him just as much as you do," said Bruce. "That toxin he uses that you hate, I don't want that to ever be used on anyone again. I was there when it killed Ivy – I saw the sacrifice she willingly made for this city, to protect all living things in it. It would be an insult to her memory to do anything else but uphold the principles she sacrificed herself for. And to do that, I need your help."

The child gestured to the others, and they lowered their weapons. "You are the Batman, are you not?" asked the child. "We are glad that your dedication to life remains true, unlike the coward who usurps your name. The bringer of death and destruction will pay for helping to murder Mother Ivy."

"He needs help, not punishment," said Bruce. "And I can help him, if you help me. He will no longer use the toxin that killed Ivy – I will see that it is destroyed."

"And what of the inventor of that toxin, and Mother Ivy's murderer?" demanded the child. "Will he be punished for that?"

"If you mean Scarecrow, he will be locked away where he can't harm anyone," said Bruce.

"He has escaped from being locked away before," said the child. "He must be stopped permanently, along with his toxin. We do not seek to destroy – we try to preserve life whenever possible, like you. But if there is no other permanent solution, death is at least that, and therefore the lesser of two evils."

"I will never condone killing anyone," said Bruce. "But if we work together, I don't think we'll have to. And I give you my word that if it is the only way…I will do what needs to be done."

"Bruce, are you sure?" asked Tim, stunned.

Bruce nodded. "If you take me to Neo-Batman," he added. "Do we have a deal?"

"Maybe you wanna think about this…" began Tim, but Bruce interrupted him.

"I know what I'm doing," he said. "Trust me, Tim. But you need to let me talk to Neo-Batman first," he said, turning back to the child. "I've known him for a long time, and I believe he can be reasoned with."

"You believe that a man who worked with a criminal lunatic, and who helped lead an invasion of the city and cover it in fear gas, can be reasoned with?" asked the child.

"Yes," said Bruce. "I know what he went through, and I hope_ I_ can be reasoned with. He just needs to understand the truth…the whole truth, about how people can come back from the darkest places. How there's…no strength in being alone," he said, turning back to Tim. "I only defeated Scarecrow and the Arkham Knight with help from my allies, including Ivy. And Scarecrow lost because his allies all deserted him, including the Arkham Knight. He recruited every supervillain in Gotham, and they all fell…because I wasn't alone. My strength was in my friends who were willing to sacrifice everything to fight for a cause they believed in. If I can make him realize that, if I can show him that the only way he'll come to terms with what happened is through the love and support of others…I have to believe he can change. That he can come back from what happened to him. If there's no hope for him, there's no hope for me. We both know what it's like to have the Joker in our heads."

"The clown is dead," said the child. "Best to let dead things rest in peace."

"Yeah," agreed Tim, looking at Bruce. "I agree. Of course if they aren't dead, they're another problem we've got to worry about."

"Not if that problem has a permanent solution," murmured Bruce.

"Which is?" demanded Tim. "Kill Harley? You won't do that."

"Kill myself," murmured Bruce. "I never should have survived the night I blew up Wayne Manor. I should have just accepted my fate, accepted the fact that Scarecrow destroyed me, and let myself die."

"Bruce, don't be ridiculous," said Tim. "You think if you die, Joker's just gonna give up?"

"Yes," said Bruce. "I do. He was in my head, and therefore I was in his. I know how much he needs me. If I go…he goes. And if it's the only way to stop him and Jason, then it's a sacrifice I'll gladly make. Ivy sacrificed herself to save Gotham, and she wasn't responsible for anything. I'm responsible for both Joker and Jason, so it seems only right that I die to stop them. That's justice."

He turned away again. "Should we go?" he asked the children.

"We have faced the Neo-Batman many times before," said the child. "We are too small in body and number to stop him."

"That's why I'm here," said Bruce. "To help you."

"We have tried to fight him alone," continued the child, ignoring him. "But it has been in vain. We must wait until the time is right to confront him again."

"And when will that be?" asked Tim.

The children shared looks. "It is good of you to be willing to sacrifice all in pursuit of the monster," she said. "We wanted to hear that you would cross your line if you had to. But perhaps we haven't been entirely truthful about the permanent nature of death in some cases. In some cases, death is merely a sleep, a hibernation, tucked safely away in nature before another blossoming of life. We must wait for that hibernation to end, and for that blossoming to bloom."

"What are you talking about?" asked Tim. "Is this like plant astrology? The planets have to be aligned, that kinda thing?"

"The planets have nothing to do with it," retorted the child. "But the plants do. Come," she said, taking Bruce's hand. "Come and see."

Bruce followed the children into the gardens toward the giant tree in the middle of them, which the gardens had been built around. The child raised a hand, and the roots of the tree parted, just as Bruce had seen them do when Ivy had controlled them. The interior of the tree was hollow, full of the roots and tendrils of other plants…and a humanoid shape outlined beneath the dirt, which shimmered and shone with a deep, glowing, golden light.

"Oh my God," murmured Bruce. "Ivy."

"Mother will awaken from the earth when the time is right," murmured the child. "She will bloom again, and when she does, she will avenge those who wronged her, who tried to cut her down in her prime. Including the fake Batman."

"How long has she been like this?" asked Bruce.

"It has taken her many months to grow," murmured the child. "We are unsure of when she will bloom, but we wait and hope and watch, keeping vigil at all times. When she awakens, she will lead us against this Neo-Batman. I am sure you would like to join her."

"The question is whether _she _wants me to join her," said Bruce, looking at Tim. "I mean…it was her choice to sacrifice herself to save her plants, but there might be some residual resentment towards me for dragging her into this, and not being able to destroy the Cloudburst before it killed her, and her general dislike of me…"

"Yeah, I doubt being killed by humanity will have made her any kinder toward it," agreed Tim. "I don't think death or near death tends to mellow people out, judging from Jason anyway."

The dirt suddenly began to shift and melt away as the light grew brighter, and a plant-covered hand stretched its way through the earth.

"I guess we're about to find out," muttered Bruce, as the roots in the ground lifted up Poison Ivy and placed her on her feet.

She opened her eyes, looked around, and smiled at the children. "Hello, darlings," she murmured. "I'm so grateful for what you've done for me."

"It is nothing compared to what you have done for us, Mother," murmured the child, as they all bowed.

"No, no, no, darlings," she murmured, helping them up. "Never bow to me. We are all equals here, united in our love of Mother Nature, who saves us all. Isn't that right, Batman?" she murmured, turning to smile at him.

"Hello, Ivy," said Bruce. "I'm…glad you're back. And I guess you're surprised to see me like this…"

"No, your identity was never of any great interest to me," she interrupted. "Besides, while I have been in hibernation, the plants have been speaking to me, letting me know of all that has happened in my absence. Including this beautiful garden renamed in my honor," she added, looking around and smiling. "I never thought I'd ever be considered a hero by humanity. Odd thing to be, isn't it?" she asked, turning to Batman again.

"I wouldn't know," he muttered. "But if you're up to speed with things, then you know about the Neo-Batman."

"I know he kills criminals using Scarecrow's toxin," she said, nodding. "The same toxin that killed me. I know he used to be the Arkham Knight, who led the invasion of the city that led to my death. I know he won't be forgiven for that."

"What you do not know, Mother, is that the Batman has said if there is no other way, he would be willing to kill," spoke up the child.

"Really?" asked Ivy, shocked. "That is surprising. What brought about this change of heart?"

"It's complicated," said Bruce. "But I've also…been dead, sort of. And it gives you a new perspective on life and death. Wouldn't you agree, Ivy?"

"No," retorted Ivy. "I'm as committed to destroying those worthless meatsacks who trash the planet as much as I ever was. Two worthless meatsacks in particular, who wronged me, are due to be strangled with a vine of thorns."

"Ivy, you have to let me talk to Neo-Batman first," said Bruce. "You have to trust me to be able to get through to him."

"Oh, I trusted you before, Batman," she murmured. "That didn't end too well for me, did it?"

She looked around. "Anyway, I think it might be too late for talk. My plants tell me something big is heading this way."

"Great. More tanks?" suggested Tim. "I guess it's about time I got to take down some…"

"Not tanks," said Ivy. "Men. Nothing I can't handle," she added, lifting her hands so her plants surrounded her.

They suddenly heard a roaring noise above them, and looked up to see a huge aircraft casting a shadow over them, piloted by the Neo-Batman, and carrying what looked like bombs.

"Still nothing I can't handle," said Ivy, as her plants shot up to engage with the aircraft.

Bruce's eyes fell from the aircraft to the gardens above them, which were suddenly filled with a huge number of henchmen, some pointing weapons at the Neo-Batman's plane, and some pointing weapons at them, completely surrounding them on all sides.

"Ok, maybe I could use some help," conceded Ivy.


	9. Chapter 9

"Kids, get the plants to attack the henchmen!" ordered Bruce, as he raced toward the stairs amid a hail of bullets. "I'll take Neo-Batman!"

"We need to stop him from dropping those bombs first!" snapped Tim, following him. "We all die instantly if that happens!"

"Ivy's plants have got that under control for now," said Bruce, watching the vines grapple with the plane. "We need to get to him, protect him, and try to make him see reason!"

"Sure, yeah, we can do all those things at once," said Tim sarcastically, as they dodged out of the way of the plants who had suddenly sprung to life, attacking the surrounding henchmen. The plants were swiftly joined by the children, who began shooting stones or beating them with sticks.

"I think the middle of a battle is not the time to try to convert enemies into friends," continued Tim. "It's a time to fight back, or be beaten."

"So go fight, Tim!" retorted Bruce. "Go help the kids with the henchmen! I don't think you'll be any help with Jason anyway, since he thinks I replaced him with you. He'll probably shoot you on sight."

"I hope he doesn't do the same for you, Bruce," said Tim, as he joined the children in fighting the henchmen as Bruce continued running up the stairs toward the plane.

"I don't feel good about this," said Harley, who had just arrived on the scene with Crane and Two-Face, and was watching the battle with concerned blue eyes. "These are kids. We can't expect our henchmen to gun down kids – that's a special level of evil they're just not prepared for, and neither am I."

"Well, we didn't know there'd be children here, did we?" demanded Crane. "But those children were brainwashed by the late Poison Ivy, so technically they're fair game. They're probably better off dead anyway."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" demanded Two-Face. "I'm with Harley – slaughtering innocent kids like this is just not right, and I can't expect my guys to do it. I'm calling 'em back," he said, raising a walkie-talkie to his lips.

"Wait a second," said Harley, seizing his arm and pointing down. "Is that who I think it is?"

"It can't be," muttered Two-Face. "She's dead."

Crane looked where they were pointing, and the color drained from his face. And then he grew angry. "God dammit, can't anybody in this cursed town just stay dead!" he exclaimed.

"Hey, I resemble that remark!" retorted Harley, her green eyes flashing. "Don't worry, Craney – we'll take care of the Weed."

"I'm not worried, and I'm certainly not afraid!" snapped Crane.

"We don't need to take care of her – she hates the Arkham Knight too, so she'll probably wanna join us in killing him," said Two-Face.

"But she also hates me!" snapped Crane. "The enemy of my enemy is not my friend, in this case!"

"I'm just saying, if we tell the guys to stop attacking the kids, and to turn all their attention on that plane, she'll probably join us," said Two-Face. "And after we all take care of Neo-Batman, you can run off and skip town. I'd recommend going someplace without a lotta plantlife – Antarctica, maybe."

He raised the walkie-talkie to his lips again. "Boys, leave the children alone! Concentrate all firepower on that plane, and bring it down! Try not to hit the plants," he added.

Meanwhile, Bruce had reached the top of the gardens, and jumped over to the Urbarail station next to it. He entered the elevator and rode it up as far as he could, then he hopped out onto the balcony and climbed the red girders to reach the gargoyles, which were level with Jason's plane.

"Jason!" he shouted, as Jason attempted to lurch the plane back and forth to free it from the grip of Ivy's plants. "Jason, get out of there! You can't beat them!"

"I am not going to be beaten by a couple of weeds!" snapped Jason. "What are you even doing here, Bruce?!"

"Trying to help you!" shouted Bruce. "You were beaten by a couple weeds before, remember? Come with me! Let's get out of here! You know what you're doing is wrong – it's always wrong to try to bomb innocent children!"

"These aren't innocent children!" shouted Jason. "They've been a thorn in my side for far too long! They won't rest until they destroy me for what I did to Ivy, and now it's them or me!"

"Ivy's alive!" shouted Bruce. "She's controlling those plants! Just come with me – we'll get this all sorted out! Nobody needs to die today! Look, I know you're angry at the world and everyone in it, especially me! I know I failed you! But becoming a mass murderer like the man who tortured you is letting him win! It's letting him prove he was right, that he broke your mind enough to twist it to his will! You can't become him!"

"Don't pretend to understand!" shouted Jason. "You have no idea what it's like to have him in your head!"

"Yes, I do!" shouted Bruce. "He was in mine all through your attack on Gotham! He's alive too, Jason, and he's possessed Harley, but before that, he possessed me! He was there, whispering to me, urging me to do horrible things! But I resisted him! You have to too! You can't let him make you into a monster of his creation! Come back to the light! I know we can beat this, together!"

"Don't you understand?!" roared Jason. "I don't want to fight anymore! I just want it to end…I want it all to end. This endless struggle, this endless pain…I just want it to be over! And the only way to do that is to finish the fight. It ends with the total and complete annihilation of anybody who would challenge me!"

The vines engulfed the plane, crushing it in their grip and shattering the glass covering the cockpit. "Jason, get out of there!" shouted Bruce. "It doesn't have to end like this! Give me your hand!" he said, holding out his.

Jason managed to crawl out onto the wing of the plane, and jumped toward Bruce. Bruce grabbed his hand, wrapping himself around the gargoyle and shielding him as the vines finished crushing the plane, and it exploded.

Jason grabbed hold of the girder and slowly lowered himself down to the balcony, with Bruce following him. "There's no need to fight anymore, Jason," he murmured. "For both of us. After I faked my death, I was desperately unhappy, because I missed the fight. But I realize now that was because of Joker, still inside me, urging me toward my worst and most violent instincts. I need to make peace with what happened in my life, to accept all the darkness, and let go of the battle. We both do," he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "That's the only way we can live again, by refusing to fight. By being better than we used to be. By being brave enough to surrender."

"I don't know if I can, Bruce," murmured Jason.

"Let's find out together," said Bruce. "Please," he said, placing his other hand on his shoulder. "Come home, Jason. Come home."

Jason said nothing, but suddenly sobbed, embracing Bruce. Bruce held him tightly, feeling tears come to his own eyes. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm so sorry."

"Aw, group hug!" exclaimed a familiar voice, and Bruce turned with dread to see Harley launching herself toward him, embracing him. "We're all one big happy Bat-family, all together again! But wait, you're missing your replacement Robin," she said, frowning as she drew away, and then grinning again, her green eyes gleaming. "Fortunately we found a stray – always good to keep one in reserve, y'know, in case of emergencies."

"Let go of him!" demanded Bruce, as Two-Face brought forth a struggling Tim Drake.

"This one's overconfident" murmured Two-Face. "Careless even. Surprised he wasn't the sidekick Joker tortured."

"Yes, well, they're both unreliable," said Crane, holding a gun to Tim's head. "That must be a trait of all your helpers, Batman."

"I'd get out of here if I were you, Crane," growled Bruce. "Didn't you see Ivy down there?"

"I'm not afraid of Poison Ivy," retorted Crane. "I'm not afraid of anything."

"Let's test that theory," said a voice, and they all turned to see Ivy being deposited on the balcony by a giant plant. She smiled at Crane. "Hi, Johnny, miss me?" she asked.

"I can't say I did," retorted Crane. "But you must realize, what happened to you was nothing personal, and completely your own fault. It's what you deserved for siding with Batman…"

"Yeah, go back to being dead, you worthless traitor!" snapped Harley. "Who needs you?"

"That's a little harsh, Harley," said Ivy.

"And why shouldn't I be harsh? You've always hated my guts!" snapped Harley.

"That's not true, Harley…" began Ivy.

"I don't think that's Harley," interrupted Two-Face, noting her green eyes. "It's Joker. It's complicated, but…he's alive inside her."

"Really?" asked Ivy. She sighed. "I knew his death was too good to be true. In that case, yes, I have always hated your guts," she said, turning back to Harley and nodding.

"Gee, Red, that's a mean thing to say," said Harley, her blue eyes tearing up.

"Now see, that _is _Harley," said Two-Face. "Complicated, like I said, but focus on the eyes…"

"For the last time, let Tim go," demanded Bruce, interrupting him.

"Or what?" asked Crane. "I've shot him before, and I'll do it again, this time someplace far more lethal. But we'll trade him for the Neo-Batman," he said, nodding at Jason. "You have to choose, Mr. Wayne. You have to choose which of your little Robins is going to die tonight."

"I love it!" giggled Harley, her green eyes glowing. "I love it so much! I mean, you should probably prove to the one you abandoned that you won't abandon him again, and sacrifice his replacement, but then the replacement has a wife now, who would never forgive you for doing anything like that! And of course you could never forgive yourself for picking one over the other! Your principles and conscience have got you into trouble again, and you don't have me to save you from them this time! So what's it gonna be, Brucie?"

Bruce looked from Tim to Jason to Ivy. "Don't even think about it!" snapped Crane, noticing Ivy's plants trailing toward them. "You stop them there, along with the children, or I'll blow him away right now! Nobody is going to interfere with the reckoning of Gotham's Savior again! His legacy is nothing but death and destruction, the death and destruction of young lives in particular. He just needs to decide which one," he murmured.

To Bruce, time seemed to slow as a few seconds passed like hours. Then he heard a voice next to him saying, "He doesn't have to make that choice. I volunteer."

Bruce turned to see Jason standing shoulder to shoulder with him. "Let the boy go," he said, nodding at Tim. "Take me instead."

"Jason, no…" began Bruce.

"I said I wanted an end to the fight, Bruce," murmured Jason. "If I can save a life while doing that…well, it's like I'm finally living up to you after all, isn't it?" he murmured, managing a smile.

"Aw, the little brat thinks he's a hero," said Harley, smiling at him. "That's sweet. But I think it's cheating, letting Bats get outta making the decision like that, and I don't like cheaters."

"Oh, shut up, Joker," snapped Crane. "Neo-Batman's the one we want anyway," he said, as Two-Face grabbed Jason, and shoved Tim toward Bruce.

"He's not the one I want!" snapped Harley, her green eyes flashing.

"Too bad – it's done," said Crane, as he pointed the gun at Jason's face. "Goodbye, Neo-Batman."

"Goodbye," murmured Jason, and he suddenly slammed his face into the gun, sending it spinning from Crane's hands. Then he lunged forward, flipping Two-Face over his shoulder and into Scarecrow, and knocking them both to the ground.

"Get him!" shouted Crane, shoving Two-Face off him as Jason raced toward the stairs.

"C'mon, Mr. J, he's getting away!" shouted Harley. "We're not going to waste our energy running after him – it's Batsy we want," she snapped. "You said you'd stay outta this!" she shrieked, her blue eyes blazing. "You said this was my caper! And it is, because it was predictably screwed up, which is the only kinda caper you could be involved with!"

As Harley struggled against herself, Ivy shot her plants forward – one seized Jason around the waist, and the other grabbed Crane around the neck. She pulled them both back toward her as they struggled. "Time to pay the piper, boys," she murmured, smiling at them. "Nature always wins."

"Ivy, stop!" shouted Bruce, rushing toward them.

"Batsy, no!" shouted Harley. "He ain't worth it! No, he ain't, and I'm ending this right now!" she shrieked, pulling out her gun and fixing her blue eyes on Jason's head.

"No!" shouted Bruce, as Harley cocked the gun. He raced toward her, and tackled her just as she fired, the bullet embedding itself in his gut.

He gasped, falling to the ground. "Oh no," murmured Harley, her green eyes full of concern as she dropped to her knees beside him. "Oh no, no, no. You're ok, right, Batsy? You're ok."

"Bruce?" said Tim, rushing to see to him. "Are you all right?"

"Save Jason," whispered Bruce. "Make Ivy stop. Please…"

"Yeah, I'll take of it," said Tim. "You're gonna be ok," he added, heading off to try to subdue Ivy. Bruce tried to watch, but his eyes were growing dim.

"Stay with me, buddy," murmured Harley, her green eyes desperate. "Stay with me, please. I need you."

That was the last thing Bruce remembered before his whole world went dark.


	10. Chapter 10

He awoke to daylight in his bedroom in Wayne Manor. "Rise and shine, Master Bruce," said Alfred, entering the room with a tray of soup and tea. "It's about time you were awake."

"Alfred?" murmured Bruce, struggling to sit up. He winced in pain, and looked down to see his bandaged torso. "What happened?" he murmured. "I don't remember anything else after being shot…"

"Which was a foolish thing for you to allow to happen when not wearing your armor," chided Alfred.

"How did I get back here?" asked Bruce.

"Mr. Drake brought you back," said Alfred, pouring the tea. "With help from Master Todd."

Bruce faltered as Alfred handed him the cup. "He's alive?" he asked.

"He is indeed, sir," said Alfred. "And in remarkably good spirits for someone who's been through what he went through. He's in the drawing room now, speaking with Mr. and Mrs. Drake. They'll be relieved to hear you're awake."

"This is…incredible," stammered Bruce. "How did it happen? After I was shot, I feared the worst…"

"There was no need, sir," said Alfred. "You trained your family well. All of them," he said, as Tim, Barbara, and Jason all entered the room.

"Hey Bruce, how are you feeling?" asked Tim.

"I'm sure he's had worse," said Barbara.

"I know he has," said Jason, smiling at him.

"I have," agreed Bruce. "I'm so relieved to see you're all ok though. And home…I never thought I'd see all of us here together again in Wayne Manor…"

He frowned, as a gnawing uncertainty began to tug at him. "Although I could have sworn I blew it up…"

"A fear gas hallucination, sir," said Alfred, fluffing his pillows. "But there's nothing to fear anymore."

"No, there isn't," sighed Bruce, feeling relief wash over him, drowning out that uncertainty, although it still niggled in the back of his mind. "We're all safe, and here together. Finally, at last, I can rest."

The thought should have been a pleasant one, but it felt wrong somehow. _He _felt wrong - this was all wrong. The family together, and at peace...it should have been a dream come true. But it felt more like a nightmare...

"We're all home now, Bruce," agreed Jason. "All home now, and safe. Safe forever."

_We're losing him! _Bruce thought he heard a voice from far away. _Hold on, Bruce!_

"Come home now, Bruce," said another, familiar voice, as Bruce saw a shadowy figure in the doorway. It resembled his father. "Come home."

_Come on, Batsy, breathe! You've gotta breathe!_

"You don't have to fight anymore, Bruce," murmured Barbara's voice, mixed with someone else's…his mother's maybe…

_Fight, Bruce! You have to fight!_

"Just surrender and let it be," murmured Alfred. "Let it be, Master Bruce."

_Bruce! Bruce, no! Come back! Come back!_

"Let Batman rest in peace," murmured Jason. "Let us both be at peace at last."

Peace. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt it, if ever. He leaned back and sank into it, the strange, floating sensation of tranquility…abruptly severed by a punch to the face.

"That did it!" exclaimed a familiar voice, as Bruce opened his eyes to see Harley bending over him with a bloodied fist and bright, green eyes.

"Great job, Joker," said Two-Face, sarcastically. "You saved Batman. The exact opposite of what we were trying to accomplish."

"What _you_ were trying to accomplish, maybe," sniffed Harley. "This old fighter's got a few rounds left in him, huh, Brucie?"

"What the hell happened?" muttered Bruce, rubbing his nose and looking around.

"You were shot," said Jason, who was bandaging his wound. "But you're going to be ok. Close run thing for a moment there…"

"Damn straight it was," muttered Harley. "If the little brat had killed you, she'd be dead quicker than you could say Bat-murderer. You can't kill me without killing yourself, pal," snapped Harley, her blue eyes flashing. "Anyway, he's fine. We all know a bullet to the stomach could never stop Batman. Lucky for you," she added.

"Lucky for all of us," said Tim, who knelt besides Bruce. "I guess Harley wanted to save you in order for Joker to forgive her, so she wouldn't constantly be at war with herself. Or maybe Joker took over and chose to do it as a joke, saving your life and all…I mean, we don't really know."

"And you never will," said Harley, giggling. "That's the joke!"

"Anyway, Harley threw one of her jack-in-the-boxes into Ivy's plants, and said she'd detonate it unless she let Jason and Crane go. Ivy believed her, and did as she was asked. And then Harley stood over you with a gun, and wouldn't let anyone near you aside from Jason and me. Nobody dared challenge her – I don't think anybody's sure just how unhinged she is with the Joker inside her. I for one don't want to stick around to find out. I've just called the Batwing to take you home."

"Where's Crane?" asked Bruce, looking around. "And Ivy?"

"Jason had a little talk with Ivy," said Tim. "Then she took the children and disappeared into the tree."

Bruce stared at Jason. "You…talked with her?" he stammered.

"It's amazing how that works sometimes," murmured Jason. "I just told her about what happened to me, and how the desire for revenge hurts you a lot more than the people you want it to hurt."

"And…she listened?" asked Bruce, incredulous.

"Maybe," said Jason, shrugging. "Crane didn't wanna risk it – he ran outta here as fast as he could, as he probably should have. I don't know if my words had any effect on her, but I wanted to say them. I wanted to try to show everyone there's a better way…just like somebody showed me," he murmured, smiling at Bruce.

Bruce took his hand. "I'm proud of you, Jason," he murmured. "For everything. Everything you've become, and everything you've done."

"Except for that whole attack on Gotham where hundreds of people died, huh?" chuckled Harley.

"Yes, thanks, Joker," muttered Bruce. "I can always depend on you to ruin the moment."

"And save your life," retorted Harley. "You owe me, Bats."

"He owes you nothing," growled Jason, rounding on her. "And if there was any justice in this world, you would suffer as both of us have suffered at your hands."

"Try it, kid," retorted Harley. "This time I really will shoot you."

Jason shook his head slowly. "I'm done with fighting for justice," he murmured. "I'm done with fighting period. You have no more power over me."

He removed his helmet, revealing his scarred face branded with a _J. _"I told Ivy we're more than what our tormentors made us," he murmured. "I wasn't before. But I am now."

"Aw, how sentimental," said Harley, grinning. "He really is embracing the whole hero persona – I think he's angling for your job, Bats. Kid, when you get a little older and wiser, you'll realize that heroism is for suckers. Batsy knows that – that's why he ain't one. He's a psycho who beats up the socially challenged, which is why he's my kinda guy. But sure, you go out there and be a kinder, gentler Batman, and see if that works in intimidating the criminals of Gotham City. Or give up entirely – who needs you? I don't need anybody but Batsy."

"He doesn't have to fight anymore either," murmured Jason. "And he won't, Joker."

"I guess we'll see, won't we?" chuckled Harley. "But I think I know him a little better than you, kid. I was in his head, after all. Anyway, he can't leave poor Harvey hanging – he flipped his coin to decide not to kill him for now, but there's always next time, right, pal?" he asked, grabbing Two-Face's arm. "C'mon, let's go get a drink and see if we can coax Craney out of whatever cave he's decided to hide in. The safest place for him is probably a Batcave, huh?" he chuckled. "I mean, it's all very well saying you've talked sense into the Weed Lady, but I'm betting she'll be back out there murdering people just as soon as she feels well enough. But you can't expect someone who was just resurrected to be completely fighting fit immediately. Or somebody who was shot," she added, nodding at Bruce. "But I'll see you around, buddy. I know it."

"C'mon, the Batwing's on its way," said Tim, taking Bruce's arm and slinging it over his shoulder. "Even with Alfred's TLC, you'll probably be out of action for a little while, but you can be back out there soon enough."

"He doesn't need to be," murmured Jason.

"I don't," agreed Bruce, staring after Harley. It would be right, and so easy, to just stop fighting. Jason was saved, but Joker was still out there, still his responsibility. Of course he could always give up the fight, and trust that Joker wouldn't hurt people, since he only did that to draw him out. But then in ignoring him, he knew Joker would kill more and more, until he couldn't ignore it anymore. In that way, Joker would always win – he knew Batman couldn't ever look away from injustice. He couldn't ever surrender, unless he died…and Bruce wasn't dead yet. As long as he lived, he would fight. That was his curse, but also his reason for being. And without Batman, Bruce had nothing to live for. Except…

He looked at Jason, the boy he had mentored, and was grateful that he could move on from the darkness and violence he had suffered. He looked at Tim, who had found love amidst the crime-fighting. So had he, he reasoned – he had found a family. But to content himself with a family had never been enough, for Bruce Wayne or Batman. Even before his parents' murder, he had wanted to spend his life making a difference, fighting for justice and right, like a hero. Settling down to peace and tranquility with his family…that was never something he had wanted or needed.

And he knew in the back of his mind that his rest while he healed, however pleasant it would be, would never be enough for him. That was what his near-death experience had taught him – peace wasn't something he truly wanted. Batman was born of darkness and violence, and he would fight those until the end of his days.

**The End**


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